Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai has underlined that his decision to appoint André Cheong Weng Chon, the current secretary for administration and justice, to the new term of the Legislative Assembly (AL) aims to further improve the government’s legislative coordination with the legislature and foster “positive interaction” between the executive and legislative organs.
Sam made the remarks while speaking to reporters after addressing Wednesday’s National Day reception at the Services Platform Complex for Commercial and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (aka Forum Macao Complex).
According to the local government’s announcements on Monday, the State Council, based on the nomination by Sam, has appointed Wong Sio Chak, the current secretary for security, as the secretary for administration and justice, effective from October 16, replacing André Cheong, who has meanwhile been appointed by Sam as a member of the new, eighth term of the Macau Special Administrative Region’s (MSAR) Legislative Assembly, which will start on October 16.
The State Council has appointed Chan Tsz King, the current prosecutor-general (chief public prosecutor) of the Public Prosecutions Office (MP), as the secretary for security, effective from October 16, replacing Wong, while Tong Hio Fong, the current president of the Court of Second Instance (TSI), has been appointed as the chief public prosecutor, effective from October 16, replacing Chan.
Sam has appointed seven members to the MSAR’s 8th Legislative Assembly through an executive order published in the Official Gazette (BO) on Monday, one of whom is André Cheong. Seven of the 33-member Legislative Assembly are appointed by the chief executive.
Since the establishment of the MSAR on December 20, 1999, it is the first time that a chief executive has decided to appoint an incumbent policy secretary of the government to the Legislative Assembly.
The seven whom Sam has appointed to the legislature’s new term comprise six newcomers to the hemicycle, including Cheong, and one who has been reappointed.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Sam noted that last month’s direct and indirect legislative elections chose 26 members of the legislature’s new four-year term, which will begin on October 16, adding that he has chosen the seven appointed lawmakers after considering the legislature’s new composition, with the aim of ensuring that its statutory functions and duties will be well performed.
The chief executive underlined that his appointment of the seven aims to better ensure that the legislature will exercise its functions and duties in alignment with Macau’s future development direction laid out by his government, particularly the four core visions put forward by him, namely Law-based Macau, Vibrant Macau, Cultural Macau, and Happy Macau.
Sam stressed that his decision to appoint the septet to the legislature aims to further promote Macau’s appropriate economic diversification, enhance public administration, accelerate the development of the Guangdong-Macau In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, and advance the city’s high-tech industry.
Sam underlined that the seven newly appointed legislators are broadly representative of Macau’s civil society, ranging from the public administration, legal, technology, cultural, to education sectors.
Sam noted that the local government has long been aware of civil society’s desire for strengthened communication and coordination as well as positive interaction between the executive and legislative organs. Consequently, Sam said, he had “invited” André Cheong to join the legislature’s new term, with the aim of fostering positive interaction and closer communication between the executive and legislative organs, in terms of policy formulation and deliberations, and improving the government’s legislative coordination, thanks to Cheong’s extensive experience in the government’s legislative drafting and coordination tasks.
Cheong
Meanwhile, also speaking to reporters after the National Day reception, Cheong pledged that he will fully leverage his extensive public administration and legal experience to promote positive executive-legislature coordination after becoming a legislator.
Cheong also expressed his gratitude to the central government for its trust and appointment of him as the MSAR’s commissioner against corruption (between December 2014 and December 2019) and secretary for administration and justice (since December 2019) based on the respective chief executives’ nominations.
Asked by the media whether he was “slated” to become the president of the legislature’s new term, Cheong pointed out that the president shall be elected by all members of the legislature, pledging that he will fully dedicate himself to the legislature’s work “regardless of his role” in the hemicycle.
Wong
Also speaking to reporters after the reception, Wong pledged to work with his administration and justice portfolio team over the next four years to build upon existing achievements made by Cheong.
Key priorities, Wong said, will include advancing public administration reform, strengthening the rule of law, improving municipal governance, and deepening integration within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA), while also accelerating Macau-Hengqin collaboration.
Wong also acknowledged his 11-year tenure in the government’s security portfolio, praising his colleagues’ dedication in establishing a people-orientated and modern policing model and for their effective law enforcement.
Chan
Also speaking to reporters after the reception, Chan said that he is honoured to have received strong support from judicial officers, auxiliary staff, and administrative personnel at the Public Prosecutions Office. He expressed confidence in the office’s continued progress under the new prosecutor-general.
In his new role as the secretary for security, Chan pledged to uphold the principle of “One Country” as the foundation for “Two Systems”, prioritising national sovereignty, security, and development interests. He commended Wong’s transformative contributions to Macau’s public security, and vowed to maintain public safety and social stability.
Chan said that he will – with unwavering dedication – lead the security team to maintain Macau’s public order and social stability.
Tong
Also speaking to reporters after the reception, Tong said that in his new role as the prosecutor-general, he is committed to leading the Public Prosecutions Office in fully implementing the “One Country, Two Systems” principle, and safeguarding the constitutional order established by the nation’s Constitution and the MSAR Basic Law.
He emphasised that national security underpins social stability and prosperity, and vowed to handle – strictly in accordance with the Law on Safeguarding National Security – any acts endangering national security. Having already begun smooth transition work with the incumbent prosecutor-general, he stressed the maintenance of high standards of judicial integrity, announcing that over 20 judicial trainees would complete their training programmes by September next year, helping to alleviate workload pressures and to enhance judicial efficiency.
Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai speaks to reporters at the Forum Macao Complex on Wednesday. – Photos: GCS
(From left to right) The combo photos show Secretary for Administration and Justice André Cheong Weng Chon (to become a lawmaker on October 16), Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak (secretary for administration and justice-designate), Prosecutor-General Chan Tsz King (secretary for security-designate), and Court of Second Instance (TSI) President Tong Hio Fong (prosecutor-general-designate) talk to reporters respectively after Wednesday’s National Day reception at the Forum Macao Complex.
